Section 448.110  Official Test Procedure

a)         Each unit of a combination of units must have a separate official vehicle inspection report.

b)         When a vehicle is presented for a safety test, the owner, the Certified Safety Tester or other Station employee shall complete the following parts of the vehicle inspection report by printing the following information.  Use only No. 2 lead pencil.

1)         Enter the four-digit station number in the 4 left-most positions in field #11.

2)         Enter the date of the original test in field #8.

3)         From the owner's registration card, enter the year of the vehicle in field #1.  If the vehicle model year is 1959 or older, only one bubble is marked.  If the vehicle model year is 1960 or 1970 only one bubble's marked.  If the vehicle model year is anything else, a combination of either the "1960" or "1970" bubble and the appropriate unit bubble are marked.

4)         If the vehicle is newly purchased and has no registration card, obtain the information from other proof of ownership.

5)         If the vehicle belongs to a dealer, it must have dealer's registration plates attached.

6)         Do not proceed with the safety test until the driver of the vehicle can produce an owner's registration card or proof of ownership.

7)         Enter the Vehicle Type in field #2.

8)         Enter Vehicle Make in field #3 or the Trailer Make in Field #4.

9)         Enter the License Plate number in field #5.  If the vehicle is newly purchased and license plates have been ordered, enter the word "none" in field #5.

10)         Mark the name of the state issuing the registration plate in field #6.  If the registration state is not shown in field #6, ignore this field.

11)         Enter the Fleet Number of the vehicle, if applicable, on the bottom line in field #22.

12)         Enter the number of single-wheel and double-wheel axles in field #15.

13)         Enter the odometer reading in the boxes provided in field #10; however, only code the bubbles for thousands of miles.

14)         Enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) as shown on the registration card or other proof of ownership in field #7, writing the first number or letter in the left-most position.  Omit any hyphens or spaces that may appear in the VIN.

15)         Print the name and complete address of the vehicle owner as shown on the registration card or other proof of ownership in Item 1 on the reverse side of the Vehicle Inspection Report.  On a vehicle with dealer registration plates, insert the name and address of the dealership.

c)         Only a Certified Safety Tester may complete the following safety procedure.

1)         The Certified Safety Tester shall make a physical check of the VIN on the vehicle, and the VIN on the Vehicle Inspection Report to determine if each is identical to the VIN shown on the registration card or proof of ownership.  Do not proceed with the test if the numbers do not agree.

2)         The Certified Safety Tester will remove completely any Illinois Inspection Certificates of Safety affixed to the vehicle before proceeding with the test.

3)         The Certified Safety Tester will take possession of the vehicle to be safety tested.  The Certified Safety Tester will enter his two-digit safety tester I.D. in the 2 right-most spaces in field #11, his initials in field #12, and the time of possession in field #9.

4)         The Certified Safety Tester will use all of the appropriate testing equipment to test those components listed in field #13, coding the appropriate bubbles for any defects found in the course of the safety test.  All testing equipment shall be in proper operating condition at the time it is used to test a vehicle.

5)         Proceed to test all vehicle components listed in field #13 according to the Test Specifications in Sections 448.140, 448.150, 448.160 and 449.170.  Complete the entire test, even though the first item, or any number of other items, may be defective.

6)         Enter the time of completion of the test in field #14.

7)         If the Vehicle Passes the Test, enter the number of the Certificate of Safety in field #12 and personally affix the Certificate of Safety to the vehicle, entering the date and time applied  in fields #19 and #20.

8)         Vehicles with windshield – The Certificate of Safety shall be applied as close as possible to the extreme bottom of the windshield glass in the left-hand corner.

9)         Vehicles without windshield (trailer or semitrailer) – The Certificate of Safety shall not be placed in any plastic envelope, behind or on a glass frame, or in any compartment of the vehicle.  It shall be firmly affixed with the adhesive on the Certificate of Safety directly to the exterior surface of the vehicle.  This surface must be a permanent part of the body of the vehicle which cannot be removed from the vehicle.  The Certificate of Safety shall be affixed to the left side of the vehicle at the lower corner of the leading edge of the vehicle above the "bump rail." If no permanent part of the body exists, then affix the Certificate of Safety to the "bump rail."  The surface of the Certificate of Safety shall face at approximately 90 degrees from the body of the vehicle.  (See Illustration B).

10)         If the vehicle does not pass the test, do not complete field #19, #20, or #21.  No repairs or adjustments shall be initiated without the express permission of the vehicle owner or driver.  If the owner or driver wishes you to repair or adjust the defect, do so.  Then retest only those items which were defective, and complete field #19, #20, and #21.

11)         If the vehicle does not pass the test, and the owner or driver does not want the vehicle repaired or adjusted at the Station, do not complete fields #19, #20, and #21.

12)         After performing 11.3.7, 11.3.10, or 11.3.11, ask the driver to place his signature in Item 2 on the reverse side of the Vehicle Inspection Report.

13)         Complete fields #16, #17, #18, and #22.

14)         Enter in field #17 the total cost of those parts used, if any, to repair the vehicle.  Costs should be rounded to the nearest dollar.

15)         Enter in field #18 the cost of any labor to repair or make adjustments to the vehicle.  Costs should be rounded to the nearest dollar.

16)         Enter the test fee charged according to the posted Official Testing Station Price Schedule in field #16.

17)         Enter figures from field #16, #17, #18, and the tax charged on parts and the total of these four items in field #22.

18)         Certified Safety Tester is to sign his name on line in Item 3 on the reverse side of the Vehicle Inspection Report.

19)         If the Certified Safety Tester conducting a retest on a vehicle is other than the Certified Safety Tester conducting the original test, the second Certified Safety Tester is to sign his name on line in Item 4 on the reverse side of the Vehicle Inspection Report.

d)         Disposition of Vehicle Inspection Reports – The owner of the Official Testing Station shall ensure these reports are disposed of as follows:

1)         The first copy of the inspection report is to be held at the station until the first Monday following the test.  Each Monday the Vehicle inspection Reports completed the preceding week should be mailed in the appropriate envelopes to the Department of Transportation, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 319, Springfield, Illinois 62764.  (Also see Section 448.110 (d)(5)).

2)         Give the second copy of this report to the driver.  If the vehicle has been rejected and the repairs or adjustments have not been made, explain to the driver that his copy will allow him to take the vehicle to the place of his choosing for repairs and then return to the station of retesting. Under no circumstances can the rejected vehicle be operated to haul cargo or provide transportation.  First retest of repaired components by original testing station within 30 days of original rejection is to be performed free of charge (only rejected components need to be retested); regular test fees are to be charged for two or more retest.  A rejected vehicle which is submitted to other than original testing station for retest must pass the entire safety test procedures, and the regular test fee shall be charged. Furnish driver of rejected vehicle one copy of card form No. SVI-1312 and explain that this form must be completed and mailed to the Vehicle Inspection Section if he has his vehicle retested at a different lane.

3)         The third copy shall be filed in numerical order as determined by the serial number of the Certificate of Safety issued and shall be grouped according to calendar month (series number).

4)         Each completed third copy of the inspection report shall be preserved and protected in the station premises for a period of not less than eighteen (18) successive months following the month of issuance of the Certificate.  The Station owner or his authorized employee shall be responsible for proper filing and preservation of the completed inspection reports, which shall be available to Department personnel for inspection during regular business hours.

5)         The first copy of the inspection report for any rejected vehicle should be held at the station for 30 days.  If at the end of that period the vehicle has not returned for retesting, forward the first copy to this Section in the following Monday's V.I.R. envelope.